NO MONOPOLY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 94, 29 November 1939, Page 2

NO MONOPOLY

TRANSPORT POLICY

HON. R. SEMPLE REPLIES An emphatic denial that the Government's transport policy aimed at wiping out private transport interests, was made to-day by the Minister of Transport, the Hon. U. Semple, recently, in reply to statements made by the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Adam Hamilton, at Pahiatua on November l!Uh. The Minister said that at Pa'iiatua the Leader of the Opposition was reported as having said, among other things,..." the attention of the public should be directed to the policy of the Government, which is definitely in the direction of wiping out individual private transport interests so as to give the industry over to transport monopolies, ultimately to become a State monopoly."

"The amazing thing," said the Minister, "was that Mr Hamilton made that statement after having been assured by the operators themselves that there was no such thing as confiscation, commandeer, or dictatorship, as suggested by Mr Hamilton. After knowing the facts, it was contemptible in the last degree for Mr Hamilton to make statements that were altogether erroneous. "A certain number of road transport operators in the Canterbury district have had their services curtailed where an adequate service was provided by rail. Three of these operators have already been in touch with my Department and it is anticipated that -no difficulty will be experienced in arriving at arrangements which will be mutually satisfactory to the operators and the Government.

"The statement that 'operators are being bluntly told by the Transport Dictators (presumably the Government) that unless they agree to combine with other interests and sink their individuality and independence they will have their licenses cancelled' is also incorrect. No such statement has been made by me or

any of mv offices

Precedent Followed

"Briefly, the position is that the Government has taken somewhat similar steps in connection with the organisation and co-ordination of road transport during the war period as were taken by the British Government. "In Britain, road transport has been organised in groups which are subject to control in the public interest by the Transport Commissioners. The Government has taken axlvantage of the experience and ability of the men engaged in the industry to ensure that the whole of that industry is organised on a basis of maximum efficiency.

"The Government set up one national and twenty-one district advis-

ory committees, comprising representatives of the road transport nom iriateel by the inciustry itself, and of the Railway and Transport Departments, these committees, which are now functioning, are to report on schemes put forward by the local transport associations for the improved co-ordination of road trans port and the general elimination of waste and duplication. The objectives might be summarised as (1) the conservation of petrol by restricting or cutting out unnecessary running; (2) the prevention of needless competition; (3) the creation of a spirit of goodwill between road operators as the result of closer association. "Attainment of these objectives will develop the most efficient transport system possible and will serve the interests of the nation and of the operators equally well. The public on the one hand will be assured of good service and the operators and their employees on the other hand will be assured of a decent livelihood. "If such a policy is what Mr Hamilton calls dictatorship, his point of view is hard to understand," Letter to Mr Hultqiiist. In connection with this statement by the Minister, Mr A. G. Hultquist has received a reply to his letter of November 20, in which he referred to the Minister certain charges made by Mr V. C. Florey. Replying to Mr Hultquist, the Hon R. Semple says that the speech oi Mr Florey was almost similar to that made by the Hon. Adam Hamilton, Leader of the Opposition, and that the reply lie made to the latter's charges, as above, would apply equally in refutation of the "erroneous impressions" conveyed by Mr Florey.